Opinion: Pakistan must become an authoritarian state to progress

[Aspen]

Authoritarianism is never beneficial in the long run, no matter what the issues are. A robust democratic system with checks and balances and strong independent institutions are what you need.

Pakistan has nothing remotely resembling a robust democratic system with checks and balances and strong independent institutions. That is a big if.

I don't think I will see a robust democracy in Pakistan in my lifetime with the current lot of bloody corrupt judiciary and criminal mafia politicians screwing the country at every opportunity.

An authoritarian state is the only way to get Pakistan out of this deep mess.

Following reforms must be done for Pakistan to have any chance of becoming a sovereign state

Shoot everyone in the bhutto, sharif and zardari family.

Every transaction greater than 500Rs requires CNIC, or NTN. Every business need to register and get a proper license.

Karachi under federal rule. Hyderabad new capital of Sindh.

Hazara province.

South Punjab province. Create a new city adjacent to Multan that will act as the capital.

Spend 5% of GDP on health. Spend 5% of GDP on education.

New Pakistan requires a new constitution.

Pakistan is now a one party authoritarian state, with the government having total control.

Proceed to liquidate the old order, wipe out the political elite and acquire all their lands and buisnesses.

Televised hangings and amputations of criminals who laundered billions of rupees from the international exchequer on PTV and all the world to see.

Privatize steel mill

MRAP for soldiers on Durand line

Media ethics will be strictly enforced any journalist who is a repeat offender will get his license revoked and will do 5 years in prison

Tough action against international NGO's stepping outside their mandate

High taxes on property above a certain value

Decrease redtape for setting up business

A purge in judiciary against Iftikhar elements

Abolish feudalism

Capital Punishment for corrupt politicians and high level officials

Increase our lobbying in the Gulf, America and the EU

 

[Salman876]

Pakistan has nothing remotely resembling a robust democratic system with checks and balances and strong independent institutions. That is a big if.

I don't think I will see a robust democracy in Pakistan in my lifetime with the current lot of bloody corrupt judiciary and criminal mafia politicians screwing the country at every opportunity.

An authoritarian state is the only way to get Pakistan out of this deep mess.

Following reforms must be done for Pakistan to have any chance of becoming a sovereign state

Shoot everyone in the bhutto, sharif and zardari family.

Every transaction greater than 500Rs requires CNIC, or NTN. Every business need to register and get a proper license.

Karachi under federal rule. Hyderabad new capital of Sindh.

Hazara province.

South Punjab province. Create a new city adjacent to Multan that will act as the capital.

Spend 5% of GDP on health. Spend 5% of GDP on education.

New Pakistan requires a new constitution.

Pakistan is now a one party authoritarian state, with the government having total control.

Proceed to liquidate the old order, wipe out the political elite and acquire all their lands and buisnesses.

Televised hangings and amputations of criminals who laundered billions of rupees from the international exchequer on PTV and all the world to see.

Privatize steel mill

MRAP for soldiers on Durand line

Media ethics will be strictly enforced any journalist who is a repeat offender will get his license revoked and will do 5 years in prison

Tough action against international NGO's stepping outside their mandate

High taxes on property above a certain value

Decrease redtape for setting up business

A purge in judiciary against Iftikhar elements

Abolish feudalism

Capital Punishment for corrupt politicians and high level officials

Increase our lobbying in the Gulf, America and the EU

My heart will cry when after doing this all, people will still be hungry...

 

[xeuss]

Pakistan has nothing remotely resembling a robust democratic system with checks and balances and strong independent institutions. That is a big if.

I don't think I will see a robust democracy in Pakistan in my lifetime with the current lot of bloody corrupt judiciary and criminal mafia politicians screwing the country at every opportunity.

An authoritarian state is the only way to get Pakistan out of this deep mess.

Following reforms must be done for Pakistan to have any chance of becoming a sovereign state

Shoot everyone in the bhutto, sharif and zardari family.

Every transaction greater than 500Rs requires CNIC, or NTN. Every business need to register and get a proper license.

Karachi under federal rule. Hyderabad new capital of Sindh.

Hazara province.

South Punjab province. Create a new city adjacent to Multan that will act as the capital.

Spend 5% of GDP on health. Spend 5% of GDP on education.

New Pakistan requires a new constitution.

Pakistan is now a one party authoritarian state, with the government having total control.

Proceed to liquidate the old order, wipe out the political elite and acquire all their lands and buisnesses.

Televised hangings and amputations of criminals who laundered billions of rupees from the international exchequer on PTV and all the world to see.

Privatize steel mill

MRAP for soldiers on Durand line

Media ethics will be strictly enforced any journalist who is a repeat offender will get his license revoked and will do 5 years in prison

Tough action against international NGO's stepping outside their mandate

High taxes on property above a certain value

Decrease redtape for setting up business

A purge in judiciary against Iftikhar elements

Abolish feudalism

Capital Punishment for corrupt politicians and high level officials

Increase our lobbying in the Gulf, America and the EU

And you assume an authoritarian state will do all the points you have listed? That is the biggest fallacy here.

 

[Aspen]

And you assume an authoritarian state will do all the points you have listed? That is the biggest fallacy here.

It will have the ability to implement all of them. A civilian government cannot even come close.

We know that for a fact because civilian government is struggling badly to implement many reforms on that list.

 

[xeuss]

It will have the ability to implement all of them. A civilian government cannot even come close.

Having the ability, and implementing them are two different things.

Anyway, you can keep hoping and believing. I personally do not think authoritarianism is the way forward.

 

[Aspen]

Having the ability, and implementing them are two different things.

Well civilian government does not even have the ability to make these reforms if it wanted to do it.

At least an authoritarian government would have the ability to implement it.

 

[Falcon29]

OP why don't you just move to Iran and leave Pakistan to be.

 

[Aspen]

Because there is a list of comprehensive reforms in Pakistan that need to be implemented and the current government is incapable to do it.

I already made that list, go read it and tell me in what universe any civilian government can make those reforms.

If someone wants to go through that list and say the chance of a civilian government doing each one of those reforms, be my guest. But no one here has done that in 6 pages of thread. Shows you how deep shit this country is in.

If people on PDF don't want to make those reforms because they're afraid of an authoritarian state, then what are the odds that the actual government and people of the country will ever wake up.

I have not seen anyone else offer a realistic solution to this problem.

 

[Falcon29]

Because there is a list of comprehensive reforms in Pakistan that need to be implemented and the current government is incapable to do it.

I have not seen anyone else offer a realistic solution to this problem.

So solution for you is to become like Iran. You want to turn Pakistan into a second Iran that answers to Iran. Pakistani people by large do not.

 

[Aspen]

Did you even read what I just said?

 

[313ghazi]

Then why are we using it?

Our elite classes were British educated and British influenced. We continue to use it because the system works for anyone with wealth and influence and the rest of us have no real representation - just power hungry figures we elect hoping they'll be better than others.

 

[Aspen]

Our elite classes were British educated and British influenced. We continue to use it because the system works for anyone with wealth and influence and the rest of us have no real representation - just power hungry figures we elect hoping they'll be better than others.

My biggest problem is that Pakistan has been complacent with this corrupt system for so long.

Democracy is the #1 choice of government for political mafias and the wealthy. Weak and vulnerable, easily exploited. Democracy sows corruption with no way to root it out.

People say judiciary exists to root out corruption but in Pakistan, judiciary is the one creating corruption. Imagine how screwed a nation is if its only checks and balances that are supposed to save the country are the source of its collusion with other corrupt forces. Are there any checks and balances then? It is all smoke and mirrors. It is a mirage, and it has always been just that.

Who do you think this is fooling? Is it fooling the people of Pakistan? Do you think any Pakistani actually believes that the judiciary is acting to serve in the interest of the nation?

This judiciary has formed mafias with the political elite to sabotage what is left of this country if it will make them even a little bit richer. They will not hesitate even a second to sell out this country if it benefits them. And imagine, these are the people who we put in charge of our country. They are in the driver's seat of a stolen car and rest of Pakistan is in the back seat. God help us. Only in a country like Pakistan is this allowed to happen. They are snakes, and every one of them should be rooted out and shot.

Pakistan doesn't need an example of a dysfunctional judiciary because we already have it. Checks and balances are a sham with the corrupt judges in this country. Judiciary only exists for show, they are calling the shots on their own political agenda, even if it harms the country.

What is the point of pretending to be a democracy in the first place? We have all the disadvantages of a democracy and none of the advantages. The west loves spreading democracy because it weakens those countries. The west doesn't want an authoritarian Pakistan because it will be much harder to challenge than a weak and vulnerable democratic Pakistan. If we adopt an authoritarian model that actually works, at least we will have a functional government that can actually make the reforms that this country needs. Pakistan will not be a slave to its enemies.

 

[VCheng]

Completely disagree with OP. God save us from another group of traitor generals, they've done enough damage to this country already. Each and every one who are still living ought to be tried and punished for the damage they've caused and oaths they've broken.

This a great racket that generals have ran over the country, continually mess up the republic by imposing dictatorship, stomp over institutions and constitution alike, and then when they leave they start pulling the legs of civilians who are already incompetent due to a lack of development and maturity in the civilian departments and institutions. Then folks get frustrated by the lack of development and blame democratic rule, preferring an equally incompetent despot.

On Musharraf:

His rule seems rosy because of the US aid propping up a large section of the budget, CSF freeing up government spending, lifting of sanctions and freeing up firms and financial institutions to do business in Paksitan. And Musharraf era was a worldwide economic boom that he had nothing to do with.

But the energy crisis reached its zenith because of him, by the time he left in 2008, we were up to our necks in under-capacity that he did nothing about. By the time he left, the 2007-8 financial crisis began to hit Pakistan, had he have stayed another two years, the awful early years of PPP would have been entirely his to own, he got lucky. By then, Taliban were present in vast swathes of KPK and we had a terrible security situation with regular suicide bombings. He also left the next government a financial crisis, much like the current, where the new government had to seek an IMF bailout and implement corrective measures that caused inflation and increased burdens on the economy.

To top it all off, Musharraf was personally responsible for the Kargil disaster. His actions led to the needless deaths of our NLI, almost the whole matter was a source of shame for us. He damaged the reputation of Pakistan internationally, he squandered both a good chance at talks with India over Kashmir and a good tactical plan that could have otherwise been employed for better effect in the right conditions. He was an idiot, and he should have been court-martialed, instead, to save his skin, this traitor removed an elected government, dissolved assembly, suspended the constitution, jailed judges and politicians alike, and made the former swear oaths him instead of an oath to the constitution as even he had sworn as a member of the armed forces.

I hope we never see such scum as Musharraf in power again.

May I dare say - succinctly (since my issues remain unresolved to enable full participation in discussions) - that the problem is not with any system, but the people who make it up that is the root cause of Pakistan's issues, and therefore it would be naive to contend that any change of system will result in overall improvement.

 

[El Sidd]

So who became true supreme leader after all?

 

[Aspen]

May I dare say - succinctly (since my issues remain unresolved to enable full participation in discussions) - that the problem is not with any system, but the people who make it up that is the root cause of Pakistan's issues, and therefore it would be naive to contend that any change of system will result in overall improvement.

To a hammer, everything is a nail.

If that is the case Pakistan is in big trouble.